Master Classes

Master Classes

Dance Conservatory of Charleston is uniquely positioned to bring America's top dance talent to instruct and inspire Charleston's youth through Master Classes.

Many young dancers have to leave home to find the best training the country has to offer.  Dance Conservatory of Charleston delivers unmatched Master Classes right here at home through visiting instruction with preeminent teaching faculty.

No dance studio in the region has the kind of relationships we do with America’s preeminent dancers, teachers, and choreographers. We are pleased to leverage those relationships to deliver the highest caliber of dance instruction to our students in the Charleston community.

 

2021 Master Classes

Maria Konrad

Maria Konrad

Friday, November 5, 2021

5:00p - 6:30p

$30 per dancer

Contemporary Master Class

Choreographic Residency: 2022 dates TBD

We are thrilled to announce our 2021-2022 Choreographic Residency and Contemporary Master Class with Maria Konrad! A Youth America Grand Prix judge and Master Teacher with a BFA from Philadelphia’s School of the Arts, Ms. Konrad is the resident choreographer for Next Generation Ballet (Dir. Philip Neal) and director of the contemporary program at Florida School for Dance Education!

We are excited to have Maria Konrad join us for a contemporary Master Class this fall, and welcome her back at the start of the year to create a new contemporary work on our advanced dancers that will premiere in our 2022 Spring Showcase, Dance In Bloom!

This contemporary Master Class is open to all Advanced/Intermediate Charleston dancers (DCC Levels 4 & 5, Contemporary 1 & 2 and PrePro)! Please note that any Level 5/PrePro dancers interested in being cast in Ms. Konrad’s piece must attend this Master Class.

Choreographic Residency

Maria Konrad will be creating a contemporary piece and participation in the residency is open to all registered DCC advanced students in Level 5 & PrePro!

Casting is at the discretion of Ms. Konrad, but all participating dancers will be included as understudies if not chosen for the first cast. It is an incredible opportunity to take part in the creation of a world premiere work—every role offers a valuable learning experience, and we encourage all our Level 5 & PrePro dancers to take advantage by registering!

All dancers who wish to participate in the Residency must be available for EVERY rehearsal with Maria Konrad. She will return at the start of the Spring Semester and we will confirm her schedule in the coming weeks.

All dancers interested in the choreographic residency must:

  • Register and attend Maria Konrad’s Master Class on 11/5 (register above)
  • Register in January to perform in DCC’s 2022 Spring Showcase, Dance In Bloom, where Ms. Konrad’s work will premiere (3/31/22-4/3/22 at the College of Charleston Sottile Theatre).

Maria Konrad graduated from the Dreyfoos High School of the Arts in West Palm Beach and then earned her BFA in Performing Arts at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a teacher in Philadelphia, Mrs. Konrad created the early-dance-education curriculum for the school of the Koresh Dance Company, which has been featured in Dance Magazine. Ms. Konrad’s choreography has been presented nationally in such venues such as the Spoleto Festival in South Carolina, The School of Colorado Ballet, The Harid Conservatory, Florida Dance Festival, Miami Dade Cultural Center, Florida Atlantic University, The Kravis Center, Next Generation Ballet and has collaborated with artistic organizations such as Palm Beach Symphony and Palm Beach Pops. Her work has been picked up by choreographic workshops in NYC such as The STEPS Beyond Foundation at STEPS on Broadway and Uptown Rising Series at The Bridge. Her piece “Portraits” was chosen to perform in the 2018 Come Together Festival hosted by Koresh Dance Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

She has been recognized by organizations such as Young Arts and Youth America Grand Prix for “Outstanding Choreography” (2015, 2017). She has been a guest teacher for institutions such as The Colorado Ballet School, University of the Arts, Florida’s Young Dancers Workshop, The Art of Classical Ballet (dir. Magaly Suarez), Next Generation Ballet, St. Paul’s School, Florida Dance Festival and Youth America Grand Prix. She has worked at both The Harid Conservatory and A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. She served on the 2018 faculty at The International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. She is excited to join the YAGP organization this season as a judge and Master Teacher. She is currently resident choreographer with The Next Generation Ballet (Dir. Philip Neal) and the director of the contemporary program at Florida School for Dance Education.

Andre Megerdichian

André Megerdichian

Friday, October 8, 2021

2:30p - 4:00p

$30 per dancer

*This Master Class is included in PrePro tuition

We are excited to announce a Limón Technique Master Class with University of South Carolina Assistant Professor of Dance, André Megerdichian!

Former principal dancer with Dance Kaleidoscope, Mr. Megerdichian will join us for a Limón Technique Master Class open to all intermediate/advanced Charleston area dancers!

André Megerdichian has been performing professionally for over two decades with such companies and choreographers as the Limón Dance Company, Janis Brenner and Dancers, The Mary Anthony Dance Theatre, Soundance Repertory Company, Reidel Dance Theatre, Daniel Charon, and Seán Curran.

For seven seasons he was a principal dancer with Dance Kaleidoscope, under the artistic direction of David Hochoy, former rehearsal director of the Martha Graham Dance Company. During his time in Indiana, André was awarded the Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship by the Indianapolis Arts Council, for his sustained artistic contributions to the community.

André has served as a faculty member at the Duncan Center Conservatory in Prague Czech, Republic, The Limón Institute in New York City, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Case-Western Reserve University, University of Wyoming, and Jacksonville University. He has taught master classes and workshops throughout the United States, and internationally at such institutions as the Xing Hai Conservatory of Music, Institutes of the Arts Barcelona, The Beijing Dance Academy, Pole D’Enseignement Superior Music/Dance of Bordeaux, France, and as a Master Teacher for the 3rd Annual Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition.

His work has been commissioned by numerous Universities, festivals, and dance institutions throughout the United States, including Dance Kaleidoscope, The Cincinnati Ballet (CB II), the Next Dance Company, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Daedalus Project. Internationally, André collaborated with Czech physical theatre director Petr Hudecek and co-choreographer / performer Jennifer Deckert, in the creation of the evening length duet, Kiss Romeo Bang! Juliet, which premiered at the Alta Theatre in Prague, Czech Republic, choreographed for the Opening Ceremony of the Corpus Christi Annual Commemorative Run, presented by Prague Castle and presided over by the Arch Bishop of Prague. He was also commissioned by the Painted Lights Dance Project to create Moving Light, an evening length work premiered at the Statkino Theatre in Salzburg, Austria.

With composer Fahad Siadat, André founded The Resonance Collective - an interdisciplinary project-based company cross-pollinating the aesthetic, formalistic, creative, and performative aspects of multiple genres. Since then, they have created 3 evening length works; Saharava-a ritualized dance-opera, The Moon Has Made Us Brothers, and 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, in addition to works for such institutions as the New York International Fringe Festival, the Xing Hai Conservatory of Music Dance Ensemble, California Institute of the Arts, the Monmouth University Pollak Gallery with visual artist Lucy Kalian, along with performances throughout the NYC area.

André is a Functional Range Conditioning movement specialist (FRCms), certified yoga instructor, CPT through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and has presented research in dance science for the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science conferences.

Raised in Beirut Lebanon, Athens Greece, and Geneva Switzerland, André started dancing during his senior year at Fishburne Military School and holds a BFA from Butler University, and an MFA in Choreography from the California Institute of the Arts. He is an Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of South Carolina.

Calvin Royal

Calvin Royal III

June 6, 2021

1:00p - 2:30p

$30 per dancer

Calvin Royal III began his formal dance training under the direction of Suzanne Pomerantzeff and Patricia L. Paige at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was a finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix Scholarship Competition in New York City in April 2006 and joined the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in September 2006. Royal was the recipient of the Ethan Stiefel Scholarship in 2006 and 2007. While at the ABT JKO School, Royal appeared in original works by Raymond Lukens and Jessica Lang.

Royal joined ABT II (now ABT Studio Company) in December 2007 and danced leading roles including Prince Siegfried in the White Swan and Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Jerome Robbins’ Interplay, Antony Tudor’s Continuo,and works by Edward Liaang, Aszure Barton, Jodie Gates and Brian Reeder.

Royal joined the main Company as an apprentice in October 2010 and the corps de ballet in April 2011. He was appointed a Soloist in September 2017 and Principal Dancer in September 2020. His repertoire with the Company includes the title role in Apollo, a Cavalier in Cinderella,Dorcon in Daphnis and Chloe, Espada in Don Quixote, the third sailor in Fancy Free, Persian Man in The Golden Cockerel, Pierrot in Alexei Ratmansky’s Harlequinade, Reverend Brocklehurst in Jane Eyre, Lescaut in Manon, the Recruit in Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, a Carnival Dancer in Othello, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, the Spanish Prince and Prince Fortune in The Sleeping Beauty, von Rothbart, Benno and the Spanish Dance in Swan Lake, Jaseion in Sylvia, Prince Coffee and Prince Cocoa in Whipped Cream, leading roles in Bach Partita, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Her Notes, Piano Concerto #1, Seven Sonatas, Symphonic Variations and Thirteen Diversions and featured roles in AfterEffect, Black Tuesday, Clear, Company B, Deuce Coupe, Duets, In the Upper Room, Raymonda Divertissements and Sinfonietta.

He created the North Wind in A Gathering of Ghosts, Bacchus in The Seasons, a Fairy Cavalier in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, leading roles in AFTERITE, Serenade after Plato’s Symposium and Songs of Bukovina and featured roles in After You, Aftereffect (first production), AfterEffect, Dream within a Dream (deferred), New American Romance and Praedicere.

Royal was named a finalist at the 2013 Clive Barnes Awards and, in 2014, was awarded the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship to further his artistic development. Royal has been featured in global campaigns for GAP, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Target, Ralph Lauren and Canali. He was featured in the 2019 Pirelli Calendar alongside Misty Copeland, photographed by famed Scottish fashion, celebrity, and art photographer Albert Watson.

Royal was named the 2020-2021 Artist-in-Residence for the Vail Dance Festival in Vail, Colorado.

ABT is grateful to Sharon Patrick for supporting the Dancer Fund in honor of Calvin Royal III.

Unity Phelan

Unity Phelan

June 6, 2021

1:00p - 2:30p

$30 per dancer

Unity Phelan was born in Princeton, New Jersey and began her dance training at the age of five at the Princeton Ballet School, where her teachers included Douglas Martin, Maria Youskevitch, and Mary Barton.

During the summers of 2008 and 2009, Ms. Phelan attended the summer sessions at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, and enrolled as a full-time student in fall of 2009.

She became an apprentice with NYCB in December 2012 and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in November 2013.

In February 2017, Ms. Phelan was promoted to soloist.

ABT is grateful to Sharon Patrick for supporting the Dancer Fund in honor of Calvin Royal III.

2019-2020 Master Classes

Megan Levinson

Megan Levinson

May 14, 2020

5:30pm

We are thrilled to announce a Zoom Master Class with Radio City Rockette Megan Levinson this Thursday, 5/14 at 5:30pm!

Our students have had the incredible privilege of working with Megan in Master Classes and Summer Intensives since 2017, and we absolutely can't wait for another positive, fun & technically challenging class with her!

This training opportunity is open to all intermediate/advanced DCC dancers as part of our DCC at Home Virtual Classes, but please email info@danceconservatorychs.com if you are not currently enrolled and would like to join!

Adrian Danchig‐Waring

Adrian Danchig‐Waring

April 30, 2020

5:30pm

We're so thrilled to announce a Zoom Master Class with Adrian Danchig‐Waring, NYC Ballet principal dancer and Director of New York Choreographic Institute!

Our dancers had the incredible opportunity to share the stage with Adrian this past December when he joined DCC as Guest Artist for our production of the Nutcracker, and we've been so eager to welcome him back for what we know will be another truly inspiring visit!

This amazing training opportunity is open to all intermediate/advanced DCC dancers as part of our DCC at Home Virtual Classes, but please email info@danceconservatorychs.com if you are not currently enrolled and would like to join!

Check out our Visiting artist page for Adrian’s full bio!

Daniel Ulbricht

Daniel Ulbricht

April 3, 2020

4:00pm

We're so excited to announce a Zoom Master Class with Daniel Ulbricht, NYC Ballet principal dancer and Director of Stars of American Ballet. Daniel's inspiring and challenging class is exactly what we need this week, and we simply couldn't wait until the DCC Summer Intensive to see him again!

This amazing training opportunity is open to all intermediate/advanced DCC dancers as part of our DCC at Home Virtual Classes, but please email info@danceconservatorychs.com if you are not currently enrolled and would like to join!

Natasha Bar

Natasha Bar

Friday, March 20, 2020

4:30pm - 6:00pm

$20 DCC & Visiting Dancers*

*Free for DCC dancers enrolled in Friday ballet

CLOSED

A former dancer with the Odessa Ballet in Ukraine, Ms. Bar is an internationally acclaimed instructor and coach on faculty at the Oregon Ballet Theatre School. Her students have gone on to dance in some of the world’s most renown companies and receive awards in prestigious ballet competitions around the globe! She is also the mother Ellen Bar, the former New York City Ballet soloist who we welcomed to DCC in 2018 for a special Master Class on Jerome Robbins’s NY Export: Opus Jazz!

Natasha Bar was born in Odessa, Ukraine. She was trained in the classical tradition of Odessa State Choreographic Academy and continued her studies with legendary teachers Julius Placht, Elena Tchernishova, and Marina Shamsheva. Natasha went on to dance professionally with the Odessa Ballet Company for 15 years. During her career she worked with world renowned choreographers Leonid Lavrovsky, Oleg Vinogradov, Igor Tchernishov, and Nina Fedorova. As a soloist with the company she performed leading roles in classical and contemporary ballets and toured internationally.

Since she moved to the U.S., Natasha Bar has established a reputation as a well-known teacher, choreographer and coach in both traditional Vaganova and contemporary American styles. Natasha was on the faculty of the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet in Philadelphia for 15 years, both as a teacher and as the official International Competition Coach. While at the Rock School, Natasha coached the winners of international competitions in Moscow, Jackson, Greece, Paris, and the Youth America GrandPrix in New York City.

In 2008 Natasha was honored with the Outstanding Teacher Award by Youth American Grand Prix. Many of Natasha’s students are professionally employed by major dance companies including New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Royal Danish Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and Alvin Ailey. Natasha was featured in the MTV series “Made” and in the feature film NY Export: Opus Jazz, which aired on PBS and stars New York City Ballet dancers. Natasha’s daughter, Ellen Bar, enjoyed a 13 year career as a soloist with New York City Ballet.

Viva Momix Master Class

VIVA MOMIX MASTER CLASS

Saturday, March 07, 2020

11:30am - 1:00pm

Admission:  $35

CLOSED

VIVA MOMIX PERFORMANCE

Saturday, March 07, 2020

7:30pm

CLOSED

We are thrilled to announce a Master Class with VIVA MOMIX! It is an honor to partner with the Gaillard Center on this incredible opportunity for Charleston’s dance community. Don’t miss out—register through the links to reserve your spot for the Master Class and to see them perform at The Charleston Gaillard Center!

Combining illusion, beauty, magic, fun and inventiveness, VIVA MOMIX features everything that MOMIX is known for. Recognized internationally for presenting work of exceptional innovation and physical artistry, MOMIX is a company of dancer-illusionists under the direction of Moses Pendleton one of America’s most innovative and widely performed choreographers and directors. VIVA MOMIX is a collection of the most iconic pieces from the company’s illustrious repertoire and includes several fantastic new works by Pendleton. Surreal, wondrous and massively creative, there’s nothing like the MOMIX performance experience!

Anthony Bocconi

We're so excited to share that Momix dancer Anthony Bocconi will be teaching this Saturday's Master Class! See his impressive bio below:

ANTHONY BOCCONI (Dancer) was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music, Art, and the Performing Arts and it was there he found his niche in concert dance while studying Ballet and Modern. Anthony continued his dance training at the Ailey/Fordham BFA program under the direction of Melanie Person while spending his summers training at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Nederlands Dans Theatre, and Springboard Dance Montreal. Anthony graduated in 2013 and has since worked and toured with Lydia Johnson Dance, The Metropolitan Opera, The Santa Fe Opera, Ballet Nepantla and the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. In addition to performing on stages worldwide, Anthony has had the privilege of teaching the next generation of dancers. He has taught both domestically and internationally, taking him from NYC to Canada, Europe and Asia, sharing his love for Ballet and Modern dance. Bocconi joined MOMIX in 2015.

Master Classes

Nick Mullikin

Sunday, February 02, 2020

12:00pm - 1:30pm

$30 DCC Student / $40 Visiting Student

CLOSED

We are thrilled to welcome back Nick Mullikin to The Dance Conservatory of Charleston as part of our Master Class Series! Nick is the Associate Artistic Director of Nashville Ballet and formerly held the position of Director of the School of Nashville Ballet. Space is limited. Register today!

In addition to the Master Class, we will be hosting an audition for Nashville Ballet’s Summer Intensive which features programs for students ages 11 and up.  

Nick Mullikin began his training at the Wisconsin Dance Ensemble in Madison, Wisconsin under the direction of JoJean Retrum. He continued at the Virginia School of the Arts, and Houston Ballet Academy, training with Petrus Bosman, David Keener, Steve Brule, Clara Cravey, and Claudio Munoz. Upon his completion of training with Houston Ballet Academy, he was invited to join Houston Ballet with Artistic Director Ben Stevenson, and subsequently joined Ballet West under the direction of Jonas Kage. During that time he performed works by William Forsythe, George Balanchine, Ben Stevenson, Anthony Tudor, Bruce Marks, David Parsons, Ronald Hynd, Dominic Walsh, Timothy O’Keefe, Glen Tetley, and Trey McIntyre. He has toured nationally and internationally including at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2004 as well as performing as a guest artist for Ballet Arizona, and regional companies throughout the country.

During his time at Ballet West, as an artist, he was an elected union representative for the American Guild of Musical Artists before joining the administrative staff as the Company/Tour Manager & Assistant to the Artistic Director in 2006. In addition, to handling all collective bargaining, and regional touring for the company, he oversaw and managed the company’s return to the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. as part of the inaugural Ballet Across America series.

Since that time he has worked as Company Manager for The Washington Ballet and as assistant manager at the Dance Institute in Austin, Texas. Mr. Mullikin has guest taught at summer programs and schools across the country, coached students for competition at the Youth America Grand Prix, taught in after school programs in the Washington D.C. area, and consulted on the creation and setup of Honolulu Classical Ballet in Honolulu, Hawaii. Currently, with his responsibilities at Nashville Ballet, he acts as a consultant to the Kansas City Dance Festival. In 2012, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Government, minoring in Communications, while completing the Business Foundations Program at the McCombs School of Business.

Adrian Danchig-Waring

Adrian Danchig-Waring

Saturday, November 09, 2019

1:00 - 2:30pm

$30 DCC dancers / $40 visiting dancers

CLOSED

We are incredibly thrilled to announce the next guest in our Master Class Series: Adrian Danchig-Waring! A current New York City Ballet principal dancer and the Director of the New York Choreographic Institute, Mr. Danchig-Waring has a wealth of knowledge and artistry to share with our students!

But that’s not all! We are beyond excited to also announce that Adrian Danchig-Waring will be returning in December to star as Snow King and Cavalier in our third annual production of the Nutcracker! It is a rare and wonderful opportunity for our students to dance with and alongside a current professional dancer of Mr. Danchig-Waring’s caliber, and it’s sure to be a spectacular treat for our audiences!

Melissa Barak

Melissa Barak

August 15-18, 2019

CHOREOGRAPHIC RESIDENCY & MASTER CLASS
Master Class:  August 15, 5:00p - 6:30p

CLOSED

Founder and Artistic Director of Barak Ballet, Ms. Barak is a former New York City Ballet dancer and at 22 was the youngest choreographer in their history to be commissioned for a new work following her debut in the inaugural New York Choreographic Institute. Since then she has been awarded the Mae L. Wien and Choo San Goh Awards for Outstanding Choreographic Promise, named a “Top 25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine and has choreographed for numerous companies and commercial artists across the globe. We are incredibly honored and excited to have her create a new work on our advanced dancers!

Melissa Barak’s Choreographic Residency will run August 15-18, 2019, and dancers who are interested in being considered for her new work must be available for the entirety of her stay. In addition, Ms. Barak will also lead a Master Class open to all Charleston-area dancers during the residency!

The schedule for the Choreographic Residency and Master Class will be released soon, but we couldn’t wait to share this exciting news with our DCC family! Mark your calendars—this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss!

* * *

About Melissa Barak

Melissa Barak was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She trained at the Westside School of Ballet for eight years. In the Fall of 1997 she was accepted into the School of American Ballet's year round program in New York on the Janice Levin Scholarship and joined the New York City Ballet as a full company member in 1998. Ms. Barak has achieved a multitude of accomplishments as both a professional ballet dancer and choreographer. While dancing with the New York City Ballet (1998-2007) she began exploring her choreographic talents. She was invited by Peter Martins, director of the New York City Ballet, to participate in the first New York Choreographic Institute. The piece she created impressed him so that he commissioned her to choreograph a ballet for the School of American Ballet’s June workshop performance. The ballet she made, Telemann Overture Suite, was met with critical acclaim. Mr. Martins brought Telemann into the company’s repertoire the very next season and immediately asked her to choreograph again, this time on the company. She was only 22, making her the youngest choreographer in New York City Ballet history to be commissioned an original work. Melissa has been awarded the Mae L. Wien and Choo San Goh Awards for Outstanding Choreographic Promise and has been named a “Top 25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine. She has had featured articles written about her in such publications as Pointe Magazine, Dance Spirit, TimeOut, ELLEgirl, Angeleno, LA Times Magazine, New York Times to name a few, and appeared on the nationally televised CBS Early Show.

She has created new works for Sacramento Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, and her own company, Barak Ballet as well as the National Choreographer’s Initiative in Irvine, CA and several New York Choreographic Institutes. In 2009 and 2010, she was invited to return to the New York City Ballet where she created two more works, A Simple Symphony and Call Me Ben respectively. Her commercial work includes original choreography for Xayron in Hungary and Illusions in China. She was also the choreographer for Mattel’s recent animated feature film, Barbie in the Pink Shoes and a commercial for Samsung, directed by Mark Romanek. Ms. Barak is the inaugural recipient of the Virginia B. Toulmin Fellowship for Women Choregoraphers through Center for Ballet and the Arts in New York City.

Her dancing credits with New York City Ballet include Fairy Carabosse from Sleeping Beauty, Coffee from the Nutcracker, and Russian pas de deux from Swan Lake. In 2007, Barak joined the very new Los Angeles Ballet and danced lead roles in Balanchine’s Serenade, Kammermusik No. 2, and Stravinsky Violin Concerto among others. She has worked with choreographic notables Alexei Ratmansky and Elliot Feld. The highly esteemed choreographer Christopher Wheeldon created principal roles for her in his Rhapsodie Fantaisie, and Klavier.

Dale Lam

Dale Lam

2019-2020 RESIDENCY

On Thursdays 2:15p - 3:45p

September 19, October 24, November 21, December 19
January 16, February 20, March 26, April 23, May 21

We are beyond excited to announce that DCC will welcome back Columbia City Jazz Artistic Director Dale Lam in residency for the 2019-2020 academic year!

Named "Top Private Studio/Conservatory Teacher" by Dance Teacher magazine and The Dance Teacher Summit in Longbeach, California, Ms. Lam is an active choreographer and master instructor throughout the United States and has taught internationally at the Kiradjiev Cultural Center in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Danz Studio in Costa Rica, and the Singapore Dance Association at Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore.

Cost for the entire residency is just $225 for both DCC and outside students! Full-time Pre-Pro students are invited to participate in the residency at no additional cost.

Dana Hanson

Dana Hanson

Friday, May 03, 2019

5:00pm - 6:30pm

CLOSED

Dana Hanson began her ballet studies at the age of 11 and received her early training at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle, Washington. At the age of 16 she moved to New York City to continue her training at the School of American Ballet.

In 1990, Ms. Hanson was invited to join the New York City Ballet. During her 16-year-long career with the Company, her repertoire included over 75 different ballets, primarily the works of George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and Peter Martins. She danced featured roles in Balanchine’s Agon, Chaconne, Coppélia, The Four Temperments, La Valse, The Nutcracker, Stars & Stripes, and Swan Lake among others. She originated roles in ballets by Robbins, Martins, Christopher Wheeldon, Eliot Feld, Susan Stroman and many others. Ms. Hanson toured with the Company to major cities throughout the world.

While still dancing in the NYCB, Ms. Hanson was a member of the guest faculty at the School of American Ballet, New York.

She appears in Suki Schorer’s book Suki Schorer on Balanchine Technique as a principal model and has also assisted Ms. Schorer in workshops and lectures on Balanchine technique in New York and abroad.

Upon retirement from NYCB in 2006, Ms. Hanson was invited to join the faculty of the Pacific Northwest Ballet School. She teaches primarily advanced students in ballet technique, pointe, and variations and also stages Balanchine ballets for PNBS performances.

Irina Dvorovenko

Irina Dvorovenko

Friday, March 01, 2019

5:30pm - 7:00pm

CLOSED

American Ballet Theatre Prima Ballerina and "Flesh and Bone" Star Gives Rare Master Class In Charleston.

A former principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre, Irina Dvorovenko was born in Kiev, Ukraine, and began her ballet training at the Kiev Ballet School at the age of ten. She joined the National Opera Ballet of Kiev in 1990 as a soloist, rising to the rank of principal dancer in 1992. A dancer of infinite range, her repertoire with the National Opera Ballet included leading roles in many of the great classics: Gamzatti in La Bayadère; Kitri, the Queen of the Driads and Mercedes in Don Quixote; Giselle and Myrta in Giselle; Princess Aurora and Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty; Odette-Odile in Swan Lake; the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker; and the title roles in Cinderella and Paquita. She also performed pas de deux from Le Corsaire, Diana and Acteon and La Sylphide, as well as the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux.

Ms. Dvorovenko’s superlative style and technique have been recognized in numerous ballet competitions throughout the world. Her most notable awards include the 1994 Grand Prix at the International Ballet Competition Serge Lifar in the Ukraine, the 1992 Gold Medal and “Anna Pavlova” Prize at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow, the 1991 Bronze Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Osaka, Japan, and the 1990 Silver Medal at the International Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.

Joining American Ballet Theatre in 1996, Ms. Dvorovenko was made a soloist in 1997 and was appointed principal dancer in 2000, following a stunning season which won her widespread critical and popular acclaim. Her diverse repertoire with ABT includes her commanding portrayal of both Nikya and Gamzatti in La Bayadère; Cinderella in Ben Stevenson’s production; Kitri, the Queen of the Driads and Mercedes in Don Quixote; the Lilac Fairy and Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty; Odette-Odile in Swan Lake; Giselle and Myrta in Giselle; Juliet in Romeo and Juliet; Marguerite in “Cady of the Camellias”,Tatiana in Onegin; the title roles in Raymonda; Swanilde in Coppélia; the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker; Medora in Le Corsaire; the Ballerina in Etudes; the Empress in Anastasia; Hanna and Valencienne in The Merry Widow; Cupava in The Snow Maiden; the Operetta Star in Offenbach in the Underworld; the Siren in Prodigal Son; and Les Sylphides, Apollo, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Sylvia Pas de Deux and Paquita. Ms. Dvorovenko also excels in contemporary choreography and has danced leading roles in Twyla Tharp’s Push Comes to Shove, The Brahams-Haydn Variations and In The Upper Room; Symphony in C (first and second movements); Kylian’s Petit Mort; Christian Spuck’s Le Grand Pas de Deux; Nacho Duato’s Without Words; Natalie Weir’s Hereafter; Brüch Violin Concerto, Transcendental Etudes, The Wall, Maguar Suite, Jazzmania, Don’t Bring Lu-Lu, and Pas des Déesses.

She has danced with the Finnish Ballet, the Australian Ballet, the New York City Opera Ballet, the Rome Opera Ballet, Verona Ballet, the Universal Ballet, and with the Stars of the Bolshoi Ballet, and has performed in France, Germany, Spain, Japan, Moscow, Hungary, Finland, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Turkey, Korea, China, Singapore and Taiwan. She has also appeared in various videos and television specials, including the PBS broadcast of the opening of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, in which she danced the Act II Pas de Deux from Swan Lake. She has been featured on the cover of Dance Magazine, Pointe, Japan Dance Magazine (twice), New York Dance Fax (three times),as well as in People, Russian Dance Magazine, Dancing Times, Good Housekeeping, Bazaar, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Gotham, Jane, Elle, Russian Vogue, Town and Country, Time Out and Talk. Ms. Dvorovenko was the face of Movado Watches for three years.

In the spring of 2013, Ms. Dvorovenko retired from the ABT stage and simultaneously made her stunning musical theatre debut as Vera Baronova in the New York City Center Encores! production of Rodgers & Hart’s “On Your Toes,” garnering outstanding reviews. Since 2005 Ms.Dvorovenko and her husband launched a very successful line of ballet wear “Irina&Max” by Bloch.

Following this triumph, Ms. Dvorovenko was invited to join the leading cast of the Starz network new original television drama “Flesh and Bone”, which aired in November 2015. She also made gust appearances on ” Forever” (ABC, 2015) and "The Blacklist" (NBC, 2016). She appeared in 4 episodes of the Starz series "Power" during 2016-2017 season, and in 9 episodes of the FX series "The Americans" during the 2017 season. In the Spring of 2018 she is starring in both the New York City Center Encores! production of "Grand Hotel" as fading prima ballerina Elizaveta Grushinskaya, and as the lead May Bartram in the Vineyard Theatre production of Susan Stroman's "The Beast in the Jungle".

A virtuoso ballerina, Ms. Dvorovenko brings a radiant beauty and serene elegance to all of her performances, she is renowned for both her musicality and dazzling technique. She is married to ABT former principal dancer Maxim Beloserkovsky; together, they are the proud parents of Emma Galina, born in March, 2005.

Alvin Ailey Dance Theater

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

10:30am - 12:00pm

at Dance Conservatory of Charleston

CLOSED

We are thrilled to announce a Master Class with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater! It is an honor to partner with the Gaillard Center on this incredible opportunity for Charleston’s dance community. Don’t miss out—register through the link below to reserve your spot today!

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater grew from a now-fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African-American modern dancers, that performance changed forever the perception of American dance. The Ailey company has gone on to perform for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents – as well as millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings, and online platforms.

Yannick Lebrun

Yannick Lebrun

Yannick Lebrun (Cayenne, French Guiana) began training in his native country at the Adaclam School under the guidance of Jeanine Verin. After graduating high school in 2004, he moved to New York City to study at The Ailey School as a scholarship student. Mr. Lebrun has performed works by choreographers Troy Powell, Debbie Allen, Scott Rink, Thaddeus Davis, Nilas Martins, Dwight Rhoden, and Francesca Harper. He was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2011, and, in 2013, France-Amérique magazine highlighted him as one of the 50 most talented French in the United States. In November 2016 Mr. Lebrun was a guest performer with The Royal Ballet in Wayne McGregor’s Chroma. Mr. Lebrun was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2008.

Martha Graham Dance Company

Martha Graham Dance Company

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

10:00am

CLOSED

We are thrilled to announce a master class with the Martha Graham Dance Company on January 22. It is an honor to partner with the Gaillard Center on this incredible opportunity for Charleston's dance community. Don't miss out! This class will feature a live drummer!

Going to see the show? We are excited to offer a 25% discount code to the Martha Graham Performance. Please use code: EVE25 

There will also be a free pre-show lecture with the artistic director prior to the performance at the Gaillard.

The Martha Graham Dance Company has been a world leader in the development of contemporary dance since its founding in 1926. The Company embraces a new vision that showcases masterpieces by Graham alongside newly commissioned works by contemporary artists. With programs that offer a rich thematic narrative, the Company creates new platforms for contemporary dance and multiple points of access for audiences. Since its inception, the Martha Graham Dance Company has received international acclaim from audiences in more than 50 countries.

Lloyd Knight

Lloyd Knight - Principal

Lloyd Knight is the most senior dancer and Principal of the Martha Graham Dance Company. He joined the Company in 2005 and performs lead roles in Appalachian Spring, Embattled Garden, Errand into the Maze and others. Born in England and raised in Miami, he trained at Miami Conservatory of Ballet and graduated from New World School of the Arts, under the direction of Daniel Lewis. There, he worked with choreographers, Donald McKayle, Robert Battle, and Michael Uthoff. He received scholarships to The Ailey School and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Dance Magazine named him one of the “Top 25 Dancers to Watch” in 2010. Mr. Knight partnered Wendy Whelan in Moon and Misty Copeland in At Summer’s Full.

Master Classes

Roberto Muñoz

Saturday, January 12, 2019

1:15pm - 2:45pm

CLOSED

We are excited to announce that Roberto Muñoz, Co-founder and Director of the Saratoga Summer and Vail Valley Dance Intensives, will kick off the new year with our next 2018- 2019 Master Class Series! In addition, we are honored to host the audition for the Saratoga Summer and Vail Valley Dance Intensive! Roberto is a phenomenal teacher, one of Lindy's and Stephen's favorites from their dancing days! His summer programs offer an extremely high level of training, as well as opportunities to see live performances from the New York City Ballet!

 

SSDI/VVDI Audition: Sunday, January 13, 2019 | 12:30pm Check-in | 1-3:00pm Audition | $30 fee (Bring check or cash for the audition)

https://www.ssdiballet.com/auditions/

 

A native of Chile, Roberto Muñoz began his professional career with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 1972. After his appointement as Artistic Director of the Venezuelan Ballet del Zulia in 1980, Mr. Muñoz returned to the United States and was named Director of the Conservatory of Dance and Music at what is now Point Park University. During his 15 years on faculty he taught all levels of ballet technique, character dance and male ballet technique, while also holding a part time faculty position at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and Company under the direction of Patricia Wilde. Following his departure from Point Park, Mr. Muñoz went on to be named Ballet Master, Principal teacher, and finally Director of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School.

Roberto Muñoz met former New York City Ballet principal Melinda Roy and during his tenure as Executive Director of Gulfshore Ballet (Fort Meyers, FL) they founded the SSDI and VVDI summer dance intensives. Held at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY and at the Vail Valley Academy of Dance in Vail, CO, respectively, these programs have attracted talented students from around the globe, and a faculty that includes teachers, former principal dancers, and dance professionals from The National Conservatory of Dance in Annecy, Colorado Ballet, Houston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Boston Ballet, New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet!